8 million copies sold on an album by a band that is otherwise unknown. I love this band in that really, they are the typical "hair band" - they took hair spray to a new level w/ Coverdale and Vandenberg. And yea, Tawny Kitaen is really hot.

wat is it now, the number 4 top selling album of all-time, well anyway, thats why I went out and bought this album and its awesome. Though Im still not really a great fan of AC/DC, I absolutely love the title track.

this album is probably the single album that symbolizes the 80s for hard rock bands- raw energy. Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher are absolutely guitar, guitar, guitar and not to mention Diamond Dave was actually decent still.

Best album ever, best band ever, no doubt about it in my mind, 15 million copies sold- enough said, besides, it has "Sweet Child o' Mine," "Paradise City," and "Welcome to the Jungle." I wish I could put the "Use Your Illusions" on here but well, they were early 1991 i think.

"Thriller" would be on here were not for the fact that the above is pure hard rock. "G'n'R Lies" too would be on here but I already paid tribute to my fav. band enough. Other notables: "The Final Countdown" by Europe, "Permanent Vacation" by Aerosmith, "New Jersey" by Bon Jovi

By: Alanna Evans

10. Hungry for a Game by Skagarack

Why didn't these guys find their way to stardom?? Many people have wondered this, but it could simply be because it never made it to our shores in the spotlight it should have been held in. Imagine "Somewhere in France" given a shot back during the disc's initial release of 1988... it would have been a smash for sure. Everything about the cd screams quality... from the vocals, to the melodies and back again.

This really should be further up the list... its Ronnie James Dio for goodness sake! The songs are catchy, the lyrics are pure fantastical magic, and the metallic edge is sharpened for the attack. There's never enough praise for this album, its a metal lover's dream come true.

A quick prayer to Odin and then its off to battles and brutality, bloodshed and rape, all just another day in the music of Manowar. Those that look beyond the potentinally gruesome imagery will also find rays of hope, honor, pride, and honesty... all things that are missing in today's gap of society. With Manowar, living the life of a warrior is a glorious thing indeed.

7. Age of Consent by Virgin Steele

An obscure band until the 90s, this one was the 'lost' disc of their catalogue, not making it onto cd until the late 90s. Cassette tapes of this thing floated around and sparked undying love for ten years prior to its disc debut. David DeFeis' classical background and knack for blending that into songs that stretch the boundaries of the imagination through fantasy, space, time and love come together in the perfect marriage between the hip "pop metal" sound of the time and the more metallic edge that surged earlier in the decade. A true treasure.

6. Night of the Crime by Icon

Queensryche was often highly regarded simply for making the concept album a 'cool thing' to do, but little do most know, Icon did it years before the prog kings "Operation: Mindcrime" hit the airwaves. Its AOR and there's a murder out there and the story is a bit disjointed but somehow the pieces fall together in the end making it a satisfying and sing-along worthy journey worth taking over and over.

Swedish axeslinger extraordinaire also finds his pop side, abandoning some of the heavier viking-esque metal themes for a bit of chart aiming magic. The songs all had that special Malmsteen touch but having Joe Lynn Turner on board was just the added bonus the cd needed to boost it to classic status.

Many thought Ritchie Blackmore lost it when he left Deep Purple but in my opinion, he was just finding himself. As the multi coloured named band aged through the 70s and into the 80s they became more "pop like" as vocalists came and went, but Joe Lynn Turner stepped up to the plate for this one and made pure magic. "Stone Cold" is perhaps the greatest song EVER. Its emotional impact has to be heard to be believed.

3. Strength of Heart by Gary Hughes

He later became the leader of Ten but it was this solo debut from 89 that piled on the love and lush 80s keys. Magnificent piece of work, and one worth searching out for AOR fans.

The lost child of the 80s. 1986's "The Final Countdown" got all the attention but it was their second album from 1984 that deserved it the most. Joey Tempest's voice was raw and youthful while John Norum's guitars simply explode into the songs. Straight up metal in classics like "Scream of Anger" and "Stormwind", while the original "Open Your Heart" is an energetic plea of love. Those that think Europe was just 'wimps' should give this a look. A diamond in the rough for sure.

One of the finest discs ever created. The overall sound was a giant leap forward. The amount of textures layered under those catchy melodies made quite an impact on the charts and has stayed in the hearts that love their metal with a lighter touch without going all out glam (ie: Poison).

There are so many other bands that were over looked and never got their fair chance, such as Malice, Angel Dust, Banshee, Treat, Fifth Angel, Tarot, White Wolf, Shy, Arcara, Apollo-Ra... do dig beneath the surface and discover for yourself these wonderous bands that you might be missing. There was so much more to 80s metal/hard rock music than Ozzy, Bon Jovi, Metallica, and Iron Maiden... sure that was what the radio let you hear, but they buried so much of the rest...

The release that took Simple Minds to the top of the rock tree worldwide. After playing Live Aid, this album dominated the airwaves of not only every radio station on the globe, but also every jukebox that played on my school bus !

8. Only Child by Only Child

An undiscovered gem. AOR at it's best this basically went un-noticed which was criminal as it was as good as anything else of the time.

7. Welcome To The Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Still in the Guinness book of records for advance orders, this was the first "Album" I was ever really into.Xmas 1984. Just listen to the bass line in Two Tribes and you can see what a tight outfit they were.Outstanding pomp at it's best

Many people would go for The Joshua Tree as their favourite, but this was, and still is mine.Capturing the raw power and energy of the band in their youth, before the megalomania set in, it broke the band in the US and remained in the British chart for over two years.

The last truly great album from the classic Journey line up was my favourite. Be Good to Yourself blaring from your car stereo in the middle of a long summer night, is a joy that everyone should experience

The record that changed me from a pop fan to a rock fan. It opened so many doors which, to this day I'm still finding. Every one a pop/rock classic and was the biggest selling album, worldwide, in 1987.

Big Country & The Police have to be mentioned, as they also had a massive influence over me musically with BC being my first ever gig in '86. Also, a young British AOR band called After Hours had a great album called " Take Off ". If anyone can tell me how to get a hold of a copy, I'll gladly wipe their arse for a year !

Dave Stewart's only purpose in the band was to make Annie Lennox look and sound better. But as they would only do again on "Revenge", they become an actual band and not a sparring couple. Their romantic relationship broke down as well as their physical health (Annie had vocal cysts), but they channeled the energy into the album. Duets with Elvis Costello and Aretha Franklin are only the tip of the iceberg on an album of blue-eyed soul that would be the last big event in the Eurythmics career.

9. A Walk Across the Rooftops by The Blue Nile

When people praise the Blue Nile for their creative work, they really mean this, their lone masterpiece. Its awesome stature gave this already fragile band a mass of complexes and label trouble that still haunts them to this day. Nevertheless, the record has unique melodies that sparkle because of their restraint. They could have gone and done many more songs and at a faster tempo, but they didn't because they felt it would insult themselves and their potential audience. If only they had remembered that on their following releases. Besides it was a pattern-setter for the rest of the 80's synth-pop.

She was going to be the biggest thing in rock until she stupidly decided to rip up the pope's image. Before she lost her marbles, she challenged the conventional role of women in rock as well as her Catholic upbringing on this sharp debut album that pits the gaudiness of mainstream 1980's culture against the horrors that it tried to hide.

Kate is at a crossroads on this album. She is trying to sabotage her previously commercial sound, and hasn't yet become sophisticated enough to give us "Hounds of Love " and "The Sensual World". So she has to use every trick imaginable to broaden her sound. She makes it succeed and tackles heady issues that lesser acts like Tori Amosin the 90's would ride to the bank while she would spend the rest of the same period in seclusion, forgotten by the scene she helped foster.

I like this one because most every other album by this band and its members' solo work suck rocks. Here the band go out in a blaze of glory as they stick to the music and leave Sting's psychobabble and Copeland's lame wit behind. The result: Every Breath You Take. Need I say more?

5. BUY by James White and the Contortions

They fell off the face of the earth in 1982 after their bassist died, but they cranked out some interesting music. Another of Sonic Youth's major influences, it shows in groove-laden numbers that blend funk and acid jazz. It gets kudos in my books for the cover, which places the title right under the arm of a very sexy, scantily-clad woman.

They were one of the most challenging bands of the 1980's: four anonymous musicians banging on keyboards and unleashing waves of noise. This record reflects that as tight rhythms bounce of cascades of sounds. Side One is incredibly rhythmic and terse, Side Two features smooth melodies and ambient sounds. The dance album that the last two decades have been trying to produce.

As much as they were proficient musicians, the Talking Heads were really satirists of Rock and Roll, like Frank Zappa. That satire is laced with trippy lyrics about colonialism in Africa and the blandness of suburban life and Brian Eno's wizardry with tape and looping. For all of its danceable fun, the album and its track "Once in a Lifetime" were only minor hits. The Talking Heads never had a major commercial success until "Burning Down the House" came out and they released the 1984 live album "Stop Making Sense". But by that time they were past their prime.

1. A Taste of DNA by DNA

Though it was supposed to have been an LP, it came out an EP. But what the hey, the band still manage to squeeze out these pulsing complicated bursts of music in ten minutes (they specialized in one-minute masterpieces). Besides that, the fact that this band is responsible for Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and John Zorn makes it indispensible.

Just wanted to give a shout to the most unique record of the 1980's : "The Mars EP". The basic premise of this band was an all feedback sound. So melodies built on feedback from two guitars and a bass swirl around a drummer who sounds like a train (literally). Radiohead can't hold a candle to the daring of this 45.

The best group of all time, forget the Beatles, Freddie could sing, Bryan was a great gurtarist, John was another and John great Drummer. This album brings forward the best of the 80s including Hammer to fall, A kind of magic, Radio Ga Ga and The Show must go on, a true classic.

8. Light Years by Electric Light Orchestra

The most under-rated group of all time. All the songs on this 42 massive collection are worth listening to my favourites include Telephone Line, Mr Blue Sky, Xanadu etc.

Another great album from the king of POP, first disc includes Thriller, Billie Jean and Beat It amongst others. While the second disc includes Earth Song, Scream and my personal favourite Little Sussie.

Far better than Immaculate collection two, includes classics such as Like a Virgin, Papa don't preach and Like a prayer. My only complaint is that True Blue was not included on this album and is not included on immaculate two collection.

An excellent album from this Norwegian Group, includes such 80's favourites as Take on me, The Sun Always Shines on TV and Hunting High and Low, usually listen to this album every week. Fantastic to lay back and listen to.

What a great title for an album for 2 reasons: 1. 1984 was an awesome year, and 2. I was born in 1984. Eddie Van Halen is a guitar genius and David Lee Roth worked his magic on this one. Panama is my favorite song on this album.

Janet is one of the first singers I ever when I was a little kid, so I had to put her on here. Control is a pretty self-explanitory album, and Janet announced SHE was in full control of her life. When I Think Of You is my all-time favorite Janet song. Excellent album.

I remember seeing Madonna on MTV when I was 5, and I loved her videos. I love the songs Papa Don't Preach, Live To Tell, and Open My Heart. I like this album better than any of the other albums Madonna had out in the 80's. It was more cheerful and much less controversial.

Oh wow man, this was Michael at his finest. There's Beat It , Billie Jean, PYT, Human Nature, and Thriller. No wonder Michael was so cool in the 80's. He was hip with the sequened glove and the moonwalk. If only he'd straighten up now!

1. Don Henley by Building Of The Perfect Beast

This is Don's best work here. All She Wants To Do Is Dance, Not Enough Love In The World, The Boys Of Summer, and Sunset Grill are just kick ass songs. Sunset Grill is my favorite song by Don Henley. Crank this song up full blast. It's awesome.

Other excellent albums I have to put on here are: Bruce Springsteen-Born In The U.S.A., Tina Turner-What's Love Got To Do With It?, Guns-n-Roses-Appetite For Destruction, Prince-Purple Rain, Bon Jovi-New Jersey, Motley Crue-Dr.Feel Good, ACDC-Back In Black, and Skid Row's self titled album. Most of the best albums come from the 1980's!

By: Fill

10. Speak English Or Die by S.O.D. (Storm Troopers Of Death)

One of the many infleuntial mid 80's Trash/Death bands that came out (comprised of Anthrax). This is just as good as the ones I didn't list (sorry dudes), but it has a bitchin sense of humor, so I put this one in.

The title says it all. This album started the genre and most bands say its the most important albums of their life. This one pushed the boundries of metal and is still raw and amazing as it was back in the day.

8. Restless And Wild by Accept

One of the most infleuntial albums of all time. Its so underated and deserves more respect. Its a pefect album!!! Topnotch instrumentals and (arguably) has the first Trash metal song make this a must own.

7. Ace Of Spades by Motorhead

Kick ass album. A raw and fun attack by Lemmy and Co. Probably their best.

In my opinion this is thier best album since its a mix of the more polished Master Of Puppets/...Justice For All, and the raw and menacing Kill em All. Awesome solos, great riffs and atmosphere, a fun and heavy album by the masters of thrash metal. Get this shit!!!!

4. Diary Of A Madman by Ozzy

I cant describe Randy Rhoads guitar playing. Its absolutly incredible and it will kick your ass. The music here is heavy, melodic and powerful at the same time. Ozzy sings well and writes very good lyrics which show that he is a madman. Perfect album and everone should get it at least for the greatest guitarist who ever lived RANDY RHOADS!!!! RIP: Randy Rhoads!!!!!!

This "movie band" actually got me into music so ofcourse I have to put this shit on the list. Other than that its one of the best soundtracks of all time. John Belushi can song well and Dan Aykroyd is an awesome harmonica player. Add the awesome band and cameos of legends and you have one of the best soundtracks of all time. RIP: John Belushi!!!!